Sara Says

Where to DINE now in Toronto

Xango

It opened without pomp or ceremony, indicative of the confidence of its creators, two industry icons, Nick Di Donato and Claudio Aprile, that this fickle dining out community will love it. And we do. Enter through rough board corridors that open to a room of understated sophistication, designed by talented Nadia Di Donato. Sit at the bar, order a cocktail: Full Brazilian or Everything Nice or Smoke and Sunshine and peruse a menu that will take you on a gastronomic tour across continents. Choose from Nikkei cuisine, an evolution of Japanese Peruvian cuisines; Latin dishes that meld with Asian flavours; an outstanding sushi bar, raw bar and robata bar. Boquerones, Tostones, Tempura Shishito Peppers, will be good choices. Crispy plantain and yucca chips with guacamole and salsa is a must. Servers are smooth. Signal and they are at your elbow in seconds. Small plates of shrimp with fermented chili, or octopus with togarashi and sweet soy will hike your flavour quotient off the charts. Large plates like Miami Ribs, Roasted hen with papas fritas, or a re-introduction to a burger with chimichuri and smoked mayonnaise will leave you drunk with flavour. Go with friends and order the entire menu. From where I sit, you won’t be making any mistakes.

◗ 461 King St. W; 416-598-4730 www.xangotoronto.com

Don Alfonso 1890

The restaurant is a vision of white marble and pale gray walls with white leather chairs and napery. Nadia Di Donato’s design has taken the city’s collective breath away. Expectations are high since this is a sibling of the original 2 star Michelin Don Alfonso 1890 on the Amalfi Coast. The history of hospitality has traversed the continents and is much in evidence here, when, quite often, its chef/owner Ernesto Iaccarino visits Toronto and adds his special touches. It is easy to fall in love with this cool and elegant restaurant and its dual cuisine of a classic or vegetarian set menu and a la carte selections. Dishes are served in plates designed to enhance the beauty of each offering. Dinner begins with fanciful hors d’oeuvres, a teaser of the seduction to come: ice creamed eel, crowned with caviar and accompanied by wild rose scented tagliatelle. Manitoba Bison comes wrapped in a rustic bread crust. Muscovy duck breast is sauced with anise demi-glace. Educated servers, and a wise sommelier are trained to make our experience even more ➤

special. And there are more spectaculars to come on the multi-course set menus. Or, go up the stairs to the mezzanine lounge where a snack menu and scintillating cocktails are presented. This neo-renaissance building glows in the glamour and opulence it now houses.

◗ 19 Toronto St; 416-214-5888 www.donalfonsotoronto.com

La Fenice

A downtown restaurant that is still a living, breathing entity after 35 years is almost as rare as world peace. So what’s the secret of the continued success and popularity of La Fenice? Authenticity and core values: exceptional classic Italian cuisine; professional service; and newly added, a wood-burning grill for scintillating steaks. Enter and be greeted as family–by Rita Orgera, daughter of founder, Louis Orgera. At a white clothed table in front of the fireplace, a server with professional manner and intimate knowledge of the food and wine being offered caters to us. Antipasti arrives in all its splendor: Funghi di Bosco of Shiitake, Portobello and Oyster mushrooms sautéed with fresh herbs; Calamaretti Positano; luscious Grilled Gamberetti; heirloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. Carpaccio wears jaunty curls of Parmigianoregianno. All the classic dishes of Italy that we call our own are here: Agnolotti and other pastas made by knowing hands in the kitchen. True renditions of the classics of Italian cuisine delight us: Veal Scallopini, lavished with Sherry and lemon, and Provimi Liver with braised pearl onions and sage are the best in the city. Owner/chef Rocco Fosco has created a separate Grill Menu and the steaks stand up well against steak house fare. Sandra Orgera, wife of the late owner, continues to bake her special tortes. Family values. Close your eyes and you’ll think you’re in Italy.

◗ 319A King St. W; 416-585-2377 www.lafenice.ca

Shoushin

What distinguishes Shoushin is Chef Jackie Lin’s reverence to his craft, his passion for ingredients, and his delicate hand in eliciting their optimal qualities. His intimate and artful omakase service is unique in Toronto, because he is true to the Edomae style, but also sources the best ingredients in the world. A variety of delicate sweet uni like Aka, Bafun, Ensui and Murasaki from the cold waters of Hokkaido are in seasonal rotation. He smokes his blue fin tuna in wheat straw and crowns it with a pinch of grated onion; enlivens spot prawn with a dab of sea salt; envelops a morsel of shrimp paste with shrimp. Each offering is accentuated for a completely distinct experience. And, when certified A5 Kobe beef can be sourced, he knows exactly how to prepare it. As he engages us throughout the meal, improvising a la minute, he encourages us to not use chopsticks, because sushi is a finger food; and while there is high quality soy sauce in the restaurant, he does not offer it, because he wants us to enjoy the unique flavour profile of each piece of sushi on its own, and not have it all taste like soy sauce. In the theatre of the kappo-style chef, seamlessly performing slender kata-like movements behind the counter to craft beautiful delicacies, we admire his virtuosity and his authenticity. ◗ 3328 Yonge St; 416-488-9400 www.shoushin.ca

Ovest

Authentic Italian cuisine is right at home in this spacious, comfortable restaurant. The experience begins at the top, as owner John Tedesco greets every guest with genuine enthusiasm. Seated

at polished wood tables, we have a good view of the open kitchen and spectacular pizza oven, the wall of interesting wines, as well as the long marble bar at the entrance. The Ovest style means generous portions of traditional Italian dishes, moderate pricing, and European service. Here, style meets substance. The kitchen uses year-old sourdough starter and lets the pizza dough rest four days. There is always a spectacular risotto di giorno, like braised beef brisket and saffron, or short rib and red wine, or cuttlefish ragu and black tiger shrimp. We start with crispy artichokes and mint-infused yogurt, flash fried sardines and a vibrant salad of seasoned beets with whipped ricotta and candied pecans. Equally enticing are main courses of baked, whole branzino and chitarrine pasta chock-full of seafood and tossed in arugula pesto. At the end, a freshly made cannoli. This kitchen runs on youthful enthusiasm, integrity, and the desire to get it right.

◗ 788 King St. West; 416-214-6161

www.ovest-to.com

Blueblood

In this most handsome of restaurants, each time a guest returns, they experience a rush that comes from entering a special place, Casa Loma. International celebrities, athletes, stars of stage and screen, the political arena as well as regular folks from the neighbourhood come for celebrations, or just because they love the food and the ambience. Some prefer the Oak Room with its dazzling leather booths, antler chandeliers, and unique portraits of The Queen at one end of the room and Prince at the other. In the Bar, the main events are an ice filled raw bar, and a well stocked wine and spirits bar. The artwork, Dali and Warhol among others, punctuates the ambience with a sense of irreverence that sweeps away any sense of stuffiness. The dramatically-lit patio is the most romantic perch in the city. The wine menu comes on a tablet with geographical notes. Waiters are educated about the fish and fowl on the menu, as well as the merits of beef from Nebraska and Kansas; Canada beef from Alberta, Ontario, PEI and New Brunswick; Australian beef; Wagyu from Kagoshima, and more cuts like rack of lamb and veal chops. Enjoy the full experience with a tableside Caesar salad, and end with tableside flaming crepe suzettes. ◗ 1 Austin Terrace; 416-353-4647 www.bluebloodsteakhouse.com

Cibo

Everyone’s favourite neighbourhood restaurant, with three locations, covers the city with a warm Italian embrace. The designs follows nature with warm elements of wood, stone and brick. A pasta maker turns out fresh pasta including spelt and gluten-free, sauced with seafood, Bolognese, or pesto to name just a few. At the fiery open pizza oven, a pizzaiolo tosses dough in the air and prepares Neapolitan pizzas and calzones to order— and there are more than a dozen from which to choose. Turning to the substantials offered on the menu, we are delighted with whole grilled Branzino with its ➤

array of local vegetables, and beef short ribs that partner with rich Gorgonzola polenta. The grill master has a fine hand with chicken and steak. Each location has its own lively bar scene: Yorkville is on two levels and has an open patio in summer. Yonge Street has a wine angel who swings on a trapeze to retrieve your bottle from the glass enclosed wine room, and King Street features a Salumeria. Each location has private dining rooms for meetings or parties.

◗ Look for Cibo in Coral Gables, Miami and South Beach.

522 King St. W; 416-504-3939 2472 Yonge St; 416-925-0016 133 Yorkville Ave; 416-925-2143 www.cibowinebar.com

Akira Back

Michelin star chef and world renowned restaurateur Akira Back has brought his personal authentic Korean/modern Japanese style to an enthusiastic clientele: thinly sliced tuna pizza on a baked tortilla crust; Americanwagyu tacos; and a selection of beautifully presented dishes that use exotic ingredients such as foie gras, caviar and truffles are presented in playful ways. Truffle Bomb croquettes with sweet shrimp, sea urchin and caviar are flavour highs. Hirami with Serrano peppers and tomatillo soy is unique and tasty. Not to be missed is the Brother from Another Mother roll, made with two kinds of eel, unagi and tempura anago, capped with foie gras and drizzled with Ponzu aioli. The principals of traditional sushi, sashimi and maki are not disregarded however, and come to the table in all their lushness. Slow-cooked American-wagyu shortrib, a recipe from his childhood, is another unique dish. Dining in this luxurious, dramatic room, under a glorious curved watercolour ceiling, inspired by his mother’s art work—whether at the bar, the sushi bar, or at a booth or table—is a special dining experience.

◗ 80 Blue Jays Way; 437-800-5967 www.akirabacktoronto.com

VIV at the Cosmopolitan

Reactions to this new restaurant/ lounge are unanimous. Wow!! Proving once again that lighting is everything, the drama of the changing colour installation and futuristic design entices us to stay in the lounge. Behind the bar, multi-screens of VIV TV take us to exotic travel locales. Comfortable in faux snakeskin chairs, in an airy two story room, we watch the mixologist create cocktails that are as delicious as their witty names imply. The menu offers a trove of small plates that race around world cuisines: Japanese, Morrocan, Chinese, Peruvian, and of course, our own Atlantic seafood and oysters. A Peggy’s Cove Lobster Po Boy and a glass of Prosecco perhaps? Or Moroccan cashew- and garlicmarinated beef brochettes to pair with a more robust cocktail? A favourite is the mini crispy eggplant Parmigiano of three crunchy pockets to pair with wine. A huge wooden board with all the fixings for mini Peruvian Burritos including beef, heirloom tomato pico de gallo, Manchego cheese and lettuce chiffonade to fold into tortillas is a conversation piece. While shareables abound, don’t forget about their classic sizzling steaks. As the lounge flows into the dining room, it is worth a visit just to see the extraordinary ceiling décor. Whimsical, playful, and flavour forward, VIV is a hot date night destination.

◗ 8 Colborne St; 416-350-8188 www.vivatthecosmo.com